Lights will be shut for long in Mumbai Dance Bars, says President of Dance Bars Association

Dance Bars have mint monies in crores now amid coronavirus crisis and lockdown, this industry may not revive speedily. The Performer Girls of orchestra have reached to their homes in other states

Mumbai: The performers of Dance Bars have remained hot cake even in the film industry. Movies on Dance Bars and Performing Artists have always kept people curious. The films like Chandani Bar based on the life of the performer in Dance Bar are raved by people still today.

Most of the performers at these Dance Bars are either dancers or singers from various parts of the state and other states as well, whose livelihood is based on the daily commission. The lockdown of three months has shut down almost all major industries and likewise there is little chance that medium sized Dance Bars will start immediately after lockdown. The high profiles ones will also not immediately reopen as both are dependent on customers who are already broke.

Karishma (name changed on request) a performer in a Dance Bar at Chembur in Eastern Mumbai said, “I got Rs.10,000 in April for ration in lockdown. It is difficult to survive in Mumbai with such a small amount. In lockdown I can manage for myself. There are other needs of children and even electricity bills which put additional financial burden as I am not making good money. I have booked the ticket to my native in Jharkhand. Others have already left by hiring private vehicles. “

The fear is in this industry now is that even if the Dance Bars open after lockdown the customers will hardly frequent them out of fear of contracting Coronavirus. It is difficult to sustain without money in Mumbai for a long. They have learnt that amid coronavirus orchestra shows on stage cannot be performed. After lockdown if the orchestra runs they may get infected. Instead they have rushed to homes and will take decision on come back to Mumbai after Diwali.

Like Karishma many performers have planned to go to their hometown for few months. They are told by the owners that this industry will take time to revive.

Amid coronavirus Pandemic the nationwide lockdown the state government of Maharashtra has allowed essential services to operate. Whereas the Dance Bars which are in the 59th Day of lockdown are completely shut.

Bharat Singh Thakur, President of Dance Bars Association said, “It is a tough time for Dance Bar industry. It generates nothing less than Rs 700-800 crores turn over. There is no business operating in city from past three months. After lockdown people will come to flaunt their financial status on the orchestra in Dance Bars. Each Dance bar has 10 performers in set of two, thus a huge jobless situation arising in this Industry.”

Most of the performers in Dance Bars hail from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana and West Bengal. Even the other male staff members of Dance Bars come from other states thus most of them have either fled by roadways or by trains to their natives.

“The customers will hardly come for liquor in Bars now as this lockdown has taught how to manage without going to bars, the performing girls cannot sustain in Mumbai for long in the wake of severe financial crunch. Thus, almost 40% of them have already left from Mumbai” added Thakur

Ganesh Rai another Dance Bar owner said,” I cannot afford the performers for three months. They have got a life style to maintain when they live in Mumbai. Also under lockdown I have to pay rent for the premises and other staff salary. Hence I asked them to manage themselves and leave city as even customers will not come fearing coronavirus. It is not an affordable business now, thus Dance Bars will remain shut even after lockdown for a long. I may explore some other business”.

About The Author

A senior journalist having experience of about 20-years in Investigative stories on Crime/ Legal which have created bench-marks in Journalism. An ability to understand the social issues and analyze it with the involvement of common man' s opinion, the Human Interest stories are forte. Have worked with the renowned publications like Afternoon Despatch and Courier, The Asian Age, Mid-Day and The Indian Express, also worked with UNICEF, on research projects on child abuse, children under malnutrition and women-health in Rural Maharashtra.

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